Interlocking device for laundry machines



Feb. 23 1926.

B. F. J. SCHUTT I INTERLOCKING DEVICE FOR LAUNDRY MACHINES Filed April 16, 1925 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

UNITED stares PATENT OFFICE.

BERNHARD FRIEDBIGH JQHANNES SCI-IUTT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

INTERLOCKING DEVICE FOR LAUNDRY MACHINES.

Application filed. April 16, 1925. Serial No. 23,618.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERNHARU F. J. SGHUTT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and I My improved device therefore constitutesa safety device, which prevents injury due to the accidental operation of the machine while the door is open. Accidents have happened to machines in use by reason of the fact that when a door is opened anc an operators hands or arms are inside of the casing the machine is accidentally,

started, and it is the broad purpose of my invention to provide means which will absolutely prevent the occurrence of such accidents.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims. 7

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view in top plan, illustrating my invention;

Figure 2 is an end view; I

Figure 3is a fragmentary view in section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1. v

1 represents a washing machine which may be of any desired type and which is operated through the medium of a large gear wheel 2 at one end of the machine. This machine, or rather the casing of the machine, is generally of cylindrical form and is provided with one or more doors 3 mounted to slide in suitable guides 41 so as to open or close the casing.

I have not attempted to illustrate in detail any particular construction as my invention is broadly applicable to almost. any type of machine.

In connection with a machine such as above described, I provide a rocker shaft 5 which extends throughout the length of; a the machine or casing and is mounted in suitable bearings 6. ()n this shaft 5 I provide crank arms 7 and I preferably provide two of these crankarms' for each door 3. On each door 3 and at each end thereof I secure plates 8, which are spaced from the door by suitable supports 9 and which are curved concentrically with the door and constitute a fixed part of-the door. 7

The crank arms 7 above referred to are provided at their free ends with locking fingers 10 which are movable through openings 11 in the plates 9, and when in normal position serve to securely lock the doors in closed position.

On the shaft 5 I secure an operating lever 12, the latter being fixed to the shaft intermediate the ends of the lever and carrying at one end a toothed locking block or segment 13 which is adapted to engage the teeth of the gear wheel It will be noted particularly by reference to Figure 3, that when the lever 12 is moved to a position to lock the block 13 in mesh with gear wheel 2 the crank arms 7 will be moved to a position just sufficient to free the fingers 10 from the plates 8, so that when the doors are opened, or in other words moved in their guides 4, the plates 8 will prevent any pivotal movement of the arms 7 in a direction to release the block 18 from its locking position.

These plates 8 are long enough to allow the doors to completely open and prevent release of the gear wheel, and only when said doors are completely closed can the crank arms 7 move for at this point the fingers 10 will be in register with the openings 11 and can move through said openings to securely lock the doors at the same time the gear wheelis released.

Various slight changes and alterations might be made in the general form of the parts described without departing from my invention and hence I do not limit myself to the precise details set forth but con '2 so as to hold the latter against moveplates on the door having openings therein,

plates on the door having openings therein, arms on the rocker shaft, fingers on the arms movable through the openings in said plates,

a'lever on said shaft, and a toothed segment carried by the lever adapted to engage the gear wheel when the rocker shaft is turned to position to release the fingers from looking engagement with the plates.

2. The combination with a washing machine, a sliding door therefor, and a gear Wheel for operating the machine, of a rocker shaft mounted on the machine, a pair of arms on the rocker shaft, fingers on the arms movable through the openings in said plates, a lever on 'said shaft, and a toothed segment carried by the lever adapted toengage the gear wheel when the rocker: shaft is turned to aposition to release the fingers from lock ingengagement with the plates, said plates spaced from the doors proper and said fingers of a length whereby when the locking device is in engagement with the plates the gear wheel will engage the surface of the plates and prevent it from movement during the opening and closing movement of the door.

3. A washing machine, including a casing, a pair of sliding doors on the casing, and a gear wheel for transmitting motion to the machine, said gear wheel located at one end of the casing, of a rocker shaft mounted longitudinally on the casing, a series of arms fixed to the rocker shaft operatively engaging the doors and normally holding them in closed position, and a gear engaging looking device, connected to the rocker shaft and permitting movement of the doors when in locked position.

4:. A washing machine, including a casing, a pair of sliding doors on the casing, and a gear wheel for transmitting motion to the machine, said gear wheel located at one end of the casing, of a rocker shaft mounted longitudinally on the casing, a series of arms fixed to the rocker shaft operatively engaging the doors and normally holding them in closed position, a gear engaging locking device connected to the rocker shaft and permitting movement of the doors when in locked position, a hand lever controlling the movement of the rocker shaft, and devices on the doors preventing movement of the rocker shaft while the doors are partially or wholly open.

BERNHARD FRIEDRICH JOHANNES SCHUTT. 

